Robert & Bernard Plageoles Le Loin de L'Oeil 2017

Sweet. Organic. Quietly (yet rather brilliantly), Domaine Plageoles has for decades been dedicating itself to resuscitating—and then making outstanding wines from—the ancient yet unheralded grapes of the local terroir. Loin de l’Oeil is one of the many varieties first brought back from near-extinction by this Gaillac artisan. The name translates as ‘far from the eye’, the eye being the bud and the distance alluding to the long-stemmed bunches of this vine, which are far from these ‘eyes’.

When their Loin de l’Oeil reaches phenolic maturity in the Plageoles vineyards, the team pinches the stem at the top of each bunch. This method arrests the ripening and concentrates sweetness and acidity. Following harvest, the fruit is whole-bunch pressed, and the wine is naturally fermented in old oak barrels fabricated from the nearby Grésigne forest.

The 2017 gifts a classic varietal fruit spectrum of apricot and blossom alongside engaging scents of iced tea, confit lemon and dried fruits. The palate is beautifully balanced, sweet/savoury and tangy, driven by a refreshing, spicy finish. Residual sugar clocks in at around 120 g/L, and the volatiles and extract keep the wine perfectly pitched, fresh and clean. With the same stone fruit/lemon drizzle spectrum, and a gentle twist of balsamic volatility, this will happily replace a Sauternes or Barsac at the table—without the hefty price tag.